Prologue
"WHAT?" Hermione said, jumping out of her seat.
Professor McGonagall motioned for her to sit back down.
"It will only be for a short period, Miss Granger. Until the ministry has found and arrested the remaining Death Eaters. You and Mr Malfoy will be taken to a safe-spelled location and hidden until the threat is over."
"But surely there's another-"
"The house has already been secured, and there are aurors are waiting for your arrival in the Great Hall. I cannot stress how serious—and urgent—the situation is."
Hermione remained unconvinced, for once not seeing eye-to-eye at all with her Professor.
"You can at least explain why the sudden urgency, and secrecy… and why with Malfoy of all people?"
After a long moment, Professor McGonagall replied, watching Hermione's face closely, "The ministry has been receiving anonymous threats since he-who-must-not-be-named's downfall."
Hermione nodded. She already knew this, it was common knowledge amongst members of the order, who had finally begun allowing her, Harry and Ron into their meetings after you-know--Voldemort's death.
"I have just been informed that moments ago, ministry has just received a threat directly pertaining to you, Miss Granger. All the more alarming because they knew precisely where to find your parents, where to find your relatives, and your muggle friends."
Hermione's stomach dropped, and she suddenly felt very cold.
"…but… how?"
McGonagall shook her head. "We don't know. We don't know how they had access to these records as they are kept secure at the—,"
"Ministry."
"Exactly."
"So…. So the threat had to come from inside the ministry? And I'm supposed to be going under the ministry's protection?" Hermione frowned. This… this was far from good.
McGonagall explained further.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt will be taking you, and another auror. Only they--and now, I--know you shall be with Mr Malfoy, at his already secured safe-house. Hence why this has been done as suddenly and as secretly as it has."
Hermione looked at her Professor, and head of house, for the first time in a long while, feeling utterly lost.
"What… what do I do from here?" She could not bear to think what would happen if the death eaters had somehow managed to track down her parents' location in Australia. No one knew, not even the order knew, what she had done.
"Follow me, Miss Granger." And with that McGonagall stood swiftly, and walked briskly from her office, and turning down the corridor towards the great hall.
Hermione, after a moment, swallowed with resolve, and followed her.
Her thoughts were churning in her head, and she was having trouble concentrating on any one thing in particular. She had so much to ask her professor but she didn't know where she wanted to start—she only had a few seconds before they'd reach the hall.
"The Weasleys, and Harry—they don't know—"
"I will inform them, you need not worry. You do, however, need to go, now." McGonagall swung open the doors to the great hall, and gestured at Shacklebolt who stood near the teacher's table, another auror close behind.
She put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, and turned her around.
"Hermione," she said. "I don't doubt that you will find this difficult. However, I have complete faith that things will work out. I shall come and get you when the threat is over."
As Shacklebolt approached where Hermione and McGonagall were standing, he removed a simple tennis ball from his pocket.
"We'll be traveling by portkey." He said.
McGonagall nodded, and relinquished her hold on Hermione's shoulder.
As Hermione leaned over to place her hand on the ball, and as she felt the all too-familiar jerk around her naval, she could swear she heard McGonagall say, "good luck."
TBC